Cavaliers’ Darius Garland teases return date amid comeback buzz

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says his return to the court is coming soon. He just is not ready to share exactly when.

“I have a date in my head,” Garland said to ESPN’s Lisa Salters during the Cavaliers’ 119-111 regular-season opening loss to the New York Knicks. “I’m not going to say the date right now. But, I’m pretty close.”

Garland, who underwent toe surgery in June, has been ramping up activity after being sidelined through the playoffs and much of the summer. He said he has returned to full practice and is feeling like himself again.

“I’m feeling really good,” Garland said. “I’m back playing live in practice. Playing five-on-five against the team. I’m working out every day. Moving around. Everything’s been going great. It’s going well.”

The 24-year-old All-Star described the months following his surgery as some of the hardest of his young career. He struggled with a turf toe injury during last season’s playoff run and said simply walking was painful.

“I couldn’t walk during the playoffs,” Garland admitted. “So, it was hard for me to run, of course, [and] just going through that pain. I’m just trying to be out there for my teammates, though. [We’re] trying to win a championship. So, yeah, it was pretty tough. But I’m glad it’s over.”

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However, if he hadn’t suffered his toe injury, Garland has maintained that last year’s Cavaliers were championship-caliber, even if injuries derailed their postseason hopes.

“[It’s] just our talent we had and the camaraderie we had,” Garland said. “I mean, everyone’s banged up around this time. No discredit to OKC, they deserve it. Congratulations to them for sure. But, I think we were right there in the race and hopefully right there in the race again. That’s what we’re going for. I think that we’re one of the top teams in this league. So, hopefully we have a good season this year.”

Head coach Kenny Atkinson echoed Garland’s optimism, saying the guard has looked strong in practice and is likely ahead of schedule in his recovery.

“Really good,” Atkinson said. “He did most of practice today and we were live, so we’ll see how he responds tomorrow. I don’t know what that means big picture-wise, but good sign for us.”

Atkinson made it clear, however, that the Cavaliers will not rush their star point guard back onto the court. The team wants Garland healthy for the long haul, with the focus squarely on the postseason.

“Let’s make sure we’re progressing because I want DG healthy long-term for the season, for the playoffs,” Atkinson said. “Really kind of having conversations with him, making sure the build-up is right. We’re erring on the side of long-term thinking.”

Cleveland will be without Max Strus to start the season, and was without De’Andre Hunter against the Knicks. That leaves Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley to shoulder more offensive responsibility. The Cavaliers opened the regular season with a loss in New York against the Knicks, a matchup that some see as an early preview of a potential Eastern Conference Finals series.

Even with key injuries, the Cavaliers are confident in their depth. Players like Lonzo Ball, Sam Merrill, and Dean Wade are expected to step up in the meantime.

“The goal is to win a championship,” Garland said. “Try to get through these 82 healthy, get to the playoffs healthy, and see what we can do.”

Garland’s recovery timeline was originally projected at four to five months, putting a possible return in early November. Based on his progress and his own comments, that may come sooner than expected.

The Cavaliers will not make any firm decisions until the medical staff clears him, but Atkinson said Garland’s energy and leadership have continued to impact the team. Even while sidelined, he has remained vocal in the film room and around teammates.

“I would put him in that very high basketball IQ category right off the bat,” Atkinson said of Garland. “He watches a lot of video, a lot of video of himself. He’ll send me stuff from other teams. He sent me something from Brooklyn, something we ran like four years ago — ‘Man, we could run this more.’ “Sometimes he’ll tell the guy next to him [something] in the film room. It’s like, we all want to know. So you’ve got to pull some things from him sometimes. Him and Evan are both getting better at using their voice more. We need that because their voice carries a lot, carries more than mine, quite honestly. … I love when that happens.”

The Cavaliers won 64 games last season and believe they can build on that success. But everyone around the organization understands that their ceiling depends on Garland returning to form.

Cleveland’s immediate focus is on maintaining stability while he works his way back. Once he returns, the Cavaliers believe their dynamic backcourt duo of Garland and Mitchell can push them closer to their championship aspirations.

For now, Garland’s secret return date remains just that: A mystery. But with his confidence growing and his body responding well, it feels less like a matter of if and more like when he makes his long-awaited return.